Spiders
by Hazel Sage
Summary: Very short Percabeth one-shot. An amusing moment in Paul's English class involving Percy, Annabeth, and a spider leads him to believe that something might be going on between his stepson and his best friend


Paul's POV

I was in the middle of my lecture on _Hamlet_, when suddenly Annabeth let out a blood-curdling scream. I jumped nearly a foot in the air and the rest of the class flinched, jumping up as well. Annabeth herself leaped sideways and landed basically on a surprised Percy's lap.

"For heaven's sake Miss Chase, what was that?" I asked.

She shrunk herself into Percy's chest. I admit it was kind of funny to see a 17 year old girl cringing into a totally clueless guy's arms away from some unknown scary source.

"S-s-s-spider…" Annabeth stuttered in fright, staring towards the corner. Percy immediately seemed to catch on and rubbed her back comfortingly, patting her hand to calm her down.

She still shook slightly and I began to walk slowly towards where she was looking. As I neared the area, Annabeth suddenly shrieked again. I jumped and turned towards her again. Her face was pale and she was biting her lip to try to hold in another scream.

"What _is_ it, Miss Chase?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"It moved! It's coming this way! It's going to get me and bite me and I'll…" She began to babble pointlessly, turning her face into Percy's chest as she shook, and I walked closer towards the spider, allowing my stepson to comfort the distraught student.

I saw the spider and was extremely disappointed. It wasn't a big scary-movie-type spider; it was just a tiny little daddy long legs spider. I was surprised that Annabeth had even noticed it from her seat.

I began to walk back to my desk to assure the students it was nothing major and I overheard some of Percy and Annabeth's conversation as my stepson desperately tried to calm his friend.

"I know Arachne had a problem with your mom, Annabeth, but I don't think that her and her kin are out to get you." Percy said, stroking the girl's hair. _Wait, did he say Arachne? As in the Greek myth Arachne?_

"You don't understand! She hates us. She's mad about what Mom did back then and has passed that hatred to her children and now they've come to hurt me. Percy, I don't want to die!" Annabeth exclaimed in a whisper, practically in tears.

"I'll go get it and get rid of it, Annabeth," he offered, beginning to stand up.

"No!" Annabeth clutched his t-shirt and pulled him back down, situating herself more firmly in his arms. "They know! They know that you know me and they'll get you to hurt me or they'll get you in order to lure me over there and get me. You aren't going over there Perseus Poseidon Jackson! You aren't getting near that monster!"

I was a little nervous of Annabeth's paranoia now… Why did she even have such an intense fear of spiders? And what was with her mom and this Arachne, whoever she is?

Some of the girls were nervous – though none were half as nervous as Annabeth – so some guy acted the hero and grabbed the spider, throwing it out the window instead of killing it, since some people were protesting its death.

Annabeth sighed in relief when it was out the window, slowly becoming her normal, calm self.

She blushed as she looked up at Percy and scooted off of his lap to sit in her chair. Percy blushed as well and she quickly thanked him. She also graciously thanked the guy that got rid of the spider.

The rest of the lesson went without a hitch and as the bell for lunch rang, I was about to ask Annabeth if she'd stay and explain things to me, but she was already at lunch. Oh well…

I locked the classroom and walked outside, intending to go to my car and go out for lunch. But I saw Annabeth and Percy walking side by side and stopped, observing them. The experience in the classroom sure had been weird.

Suddenly, Annabeth flinched and squealed. Another spider I'm guessing… But, since Percy wasn't sitting down, Annabeth literally leaped up into his arms.

He caught her with surprise and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He automatically began walking away and Annabeth glanced furtively at the spider.

I began to wonder if Annabeth was really afraid of spiders or just wanted to get close to Percy… It seemed to be a mixture of both. Because, as plain as the fear in her eyes was the ghost of a smile spreading across her face along with a crimson blush.

Aw, to think they'd finally find love because Annabeth was deathly afraid of spiders…

**A/N: I really like Paul… And Percabeth… Random plot idea, fairly unrealistic (Annabeth wouldn't speak so freely about the "myths" in public, despite her fear), but I hope you found it amusing! I imagine that if Percy and Annabeth hadn't had their kiss at the end of TLO and Annabeth ended up going to Goode instead of a boarding school, this could have been a possibility. Thanks for reading!**


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